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Past Family

nimrod1947

master brummie
This is a picture of my Uncle Dennis Downing 1923-2011, My Grandfather David Downing 1868-1956 and my Dad 1926-1969. The photo is taken at approx 381 Heath Street Winson Green about 1952. Just thought people would be interested in these fashion iconsIMG_1320 2.jpg
 
smashing family photo to be treasured...thank you for sharing it with us...your grandad looks as thought he could tell a story

lyn
 
smashing family photo to be treasured...thank you for sharing it with us...your grandad looks as thought he could tell a story

lyn
Thanks Astoness, he certainly could tell some stories, married 3 times around 30 children. Sadly a lot died at or immediately after birth. He served in the first World War and was still alive until I was about 8 years old, so I was able to be with him in his later years.
 
what a gent :) but yes at the time he was having children children were dying at a fast rate...
 
what a gent :) but yes at the time he was having children children were dying at a fast rate...
Yes and always poor, I think from the photo he remained poor for the rest of his life. We left there in about 1954 as part of the slum clearance and he went to live with relatives in Ladywood. He sadly ended his days in Western Road
 
well i think that as he was born in 1868 he must have seen some sights during his lifetime and been a part of some very historical events and to live to age he did was very good

lyn
 
if i have got this correct your grandad saw 6 kings or queens on the throne during his lifetime... :)
 
A fascinating character, I am a little biased. He used to do his horse bets with his little pencil (Illegally betting) and taught me to read before I went to school . I was no expert at reading but well ahead of the game when I started school. He, when I was about 5 came home from the pub and in the bedroom he shared with myself and my younger brother tried to light the gas mantle. He failed and blew the match out but didn't turn the gas off. I woke in Nettlefolds security office over the road from our yard but only briefly. Woke the next day in Dudley Road Hospital. I spent another day there but my brother was in there for about a week.
Grandad apparently was mortified, not that I remembered much more about it. Much more about my Grandad was in my mothers diary, basically a school exercise book filled with her jottings.
I would put it on BHF, not sure if it would be viable, it runs to about 20 pages and may not be of general interest
 
well that is a story in itself...glad you were all ok in the end...forgetting to turn off the gas at his age is excusable...quite a few members are posting their family diaries and are always well received to if you do feel like transferring your moms written work please do so..if you do just post them on this thread and if needed we can easily move them to a more suitable place in the forum with a seperate title

lyn
 
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